Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant @ Ipoh

I only have three words to describe Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant: ‘so damn crowded‘. This is not a complaint ok, just an observation.

Customers queuing outside the restaurant for dim sum before 8am.

The chaos inside the restaurant. Number of customers standing could easily match those being seated. Your seat hogging skills have to be very good to ‘survive’ in here lol. I even saw an uncle hoggingreserving a whole table for his not-yet-arrived-big-family. So, being thick faced is the other requirement.

Look at how the customers were staring at the tables lol. They were hoping for you to finish ASAP and just get up from the table and leave. It was a really unpleasant experience with so many pairs of eyes looking over your shoulder while you eat with their hearts thinking “Oi, faster finish and go away la. Wah still take photos ah? Wah lao once not enough, take twice somemore! Never see dim sum before meh? Wah wah wahhh” lol.
So, no matter how good the dim sum, for me it’s pretty pointless. Because how on earth are you going to enjoy it?

Even the takeaway department was overwhelmed. Is this an everyday scene in Foh San Restaurant? Seriously, I have never seen any dim sum restaurant doing such good business.

Generally the dim sum was good, very authentic and traditional. But maybe because of that, choices are a little too limited.

The sifu’s skills must be really good to produce Har Gao like these with super translucent dumpling skin that didn’t break easily. Impressive.

I had really high expectations before coming, mostly due to the many raved reviews about Foh San’s Dim Sum being the best in Ipoh and Malaysia. But honestly, I wasn’t as impressed as the others seemed to be and even left a frustrated customer because of the crowd that spoilt our mood.
Hmm I also don’t know what to say, didn’t expect a restaurant doing overly well to be a turn off lol. Anyway, next time I will come at 6.30am to avoid the crowd haha!

I used to patronize this restaurant when I was small.. it’s always so crowded!
But I feel that the dim sum is not that great anymore.. I stop patronizing is sometime ago..
Maybe you can try out Yoke Fook Moon near Excelsior hotel.. I feel that it’s nice and cheaper too :)

That’s what I felt too the first time I was there. It’s crowded with people waiting for your table. And the staffs there are not that helpful either as they will show you the sour face. Not a very nice experience and the dim sum is nothing to shout about also.

vk: yeah the experience was a real turn off for us. we left very very frustrated and even vowed not to come back. but now, i feel like returning super damn early to see if it’d make a difference

no la. choices are aplenty, maybe sold out? they often come out with new dim sum every now and then, and some special items are a/v on sunday only. haha trust me, dim sum shops in HK are worst! have to wait outside the kitchen for the trolley to come out

vk: actually I took some other dim sum like the fish balls and some porridge.. but they didn’t look appetizing hence not appearing in this post :P I looked into every dim sum cart but all of them carry more or less the same thing. After 2 rounds I realized it’s the same thing again and again :(

I like your depiction of what the table hoggers are thinking. I agree, you have to be pretty thick skinned to deal with them looking over your shoulder as you eat. That alone would turn me away from going there.

i only visited foh san once. and i really liked it! we were there pretty early so it was still ‘ok’. i think we grabbed the last empty table there was. but you’re so right abt the ppl standing ard waiting for you to finish!
the table next to ours was a group of old uncles and aunties. it was very obvious that they had finished their food. but they were just drinking their teas and reading the papers! so keng la! completely ignore the crowd standing ard waiting!

plenty of varieties at foh san, we usually reach there for brunch and we could get a table easily although i agree some of the varieties may have sold out. but if you ask for the dim sums you like they can steam up instanly for you. we usually go for the chiili sauce which is very nice with the dim sums.

I went there during 01/05/09, over all we quite satisfied with it. But not all the food is nice. We also feel that very stress, always got people stand behind you and stare on you. They should do something like HK style, put a chair at outside and let people waiting.

Still prefer Ming Court after visiting both the dim sum shop twice. (Love the desert, should be lin zi,cant remember well, but is much tasty than the famous black saseme bowl in my opinion.)
Heard that Foh San is going to shiff to opposite of Ming Court. Will certainly try out Yoke Fook Mun next round.

i think foh san’s dim sum is really good tho, despite the crowd. apparently even if u go at 6am it will ALREADY be crowded. so yeah, the letdown is the big crowd.

i guess to enjoy ur food u just gotta imagine that there’s nobody staring at u or waiting for ur table :P btw, foh san is opening a newer and bigger restaurant soon, do try that out too :) (sorry i dono wheres the place, but ipoh ppl would kno)

i am from johor and visited both Foh San (the new grand shop in front of Ming Court) and Ming Court end of last year. both have been rated highly in both press and internet. unfortunately, my family was not at all impressed by the taste. the Fan Cheong of Foh San even had the taste of the cloth in which it is made ( not sure if you know what i meant). Perhaps we are not used to the taste of northern malaysia . my singapore friend who went this year was also disapppointed.

last weekend, we traveled from kuantan to ipoh just to have a taste of this so-called best tim sum in ipoh. we had tim sum in Ming Court…just opposite the new Foh San. We ate just enough and then proceeded to Foh San…across the road. In summary, I preferred Ming Court for three reasons. First, you get served in Ming Court whereas Foh San is self-service. Second, Ming Court provides servette or tissues (but have to ask for it) whereas Foh San does not provide any kind of tissue or servette. You use your hand to wipe your mouth….literally. Otherwise you can buy the tissue from the counter. When I made a complaint on this…..they have this type of stare….(if-you-dont-like-you-can-go type). Third, Ming Court is very much cheaper than Foh San. What I ate in Ming Court and with the same amount in Foh San…..Ming Court is very much cheaper. Will I go again to Foh San—–NO. Will I recommend to friend…NO.